Aikido has several main schools, but the two most prominent are aikikai and yoshinkai. Aikikai is the style most typically practiced, and is non-competitive; Yoshinkai has a competitive element, but even this is not the main focus of training. As such, sparring isn't a typical aspect of aikido training; self-actualization is. Since the two main tenets of aikido are 'entering' and 'turning', 'Crossing distances' made more sense as an option. I still argue a martial arts or meditative arts category would have been nice.

Aikido's aim is to bring harmony and resolve conflict ('ai' means love or harmony; 'ki' means energy; 'do' means way; 'aikido' thus means 'way of harmonizing energy'). Our techniques, while martially effective, stop short of injury; injury means you are breaking the energy flow.

(My reading and observation of other martial arts is that self-actualization is typically the final goal, even though martial effectiveness is often what is outwardly taught.)

In reply to Re: Re: Re: The sportiest activity that I do regularly is best categorized as... by weierophinney
in thread The sportiest activity that I do regularly is best categorized as... by tye 

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